The week at the hospital had been the most difficult of Reena's life. Aryan's condition had worsened day by day, each moment slipping away like sand through her fingers. Reena had stayed by his side, attending to his every need, suppressing her own anguish to offer him strength. She had spent nights sitting beside Aryan, holding his hand, whispering words of comfort while wearing a simple salwar kameez, her long hair braided neatly. Each day, she changed into different outfits: a soft saree, sometimes a plain dress, always keeping herself presentable as Aryan's "wife." Ravi actually wants to loom the most beautiful woman on the planet for Aryan to see in his last moments.
Aryan had smiled weakly through his pain, trying to console her. "You have been my greatest gift," he'd said, his voice frail but full of sincerity.
Then, on the seventh day, Aryan's battle ended. His eyes closed for the last time, his hand slipping from Reena's grasp. The room felt cold, as if life itself had been extinguished.
Mrs. Kapoor's cry pierced the silence, shattering the fragile calm that had settled. Reena, numb and paralyzed, watched as doctors and nurses moved with solemn efficiency. She was dressed in a soft blue saree, now stained with tears.
The doctor gently placed a hand on Reena's shoulder. "We'll send him home now," he said softly.
---
Back at the Kapoor home, the air was thick with grief. Friends and distant relatives had gathered, their whispers blending with the soft rustle of mourning fabrics.
Reena entered her room, her movements mechanical. She carefully draped a simple white saree over herself, the pristine fabric symbolizing her new, somber reality. She adorned no jewelry, her wrists bare, her long hair left unbraided, cascading down her back.
Mrs. Kapoor stood in the hallway, tears streaming down her face, silently watching Reena transform. "You've shown more strength than anyone," she whispered, approaching Reena and pulling her into an embrace.
Reena clung to her, tears finally breaking free. "I tried to save him... I would have done anything," she sobbed.
"I know, beta," Mrs. Kapoor stroked Reena's hair, now reaching the small of her back. "You gave him happiness in his final days. You became his world."
Reena wiped her tears. "I'm still... just Ravi."
Mrs. Kapoor shook her head gently. "No. I've watched you transform, not just outwardly, but in spirit. You've become my daughter. Even if you decide to be Ravi again, you will always be my child."
The rituals began, the air filled with chants and the scent of incense. Reena sat quietly, her white saree pooling around her. Thirteen days of mourning stretched ahead, each one a reminder of the love she'd witnessed-and the life she had lived, however briefly, as Aryan's wife.
A silence deeper than grief had settled over the house, broken only by quiet murmurs and the distant chants of priests preparing for the final rites. Reena, clad in a simple white saree, sat motionless in the hall. Her eyes, reddened and hollow, stared blankly ahead. The pristine white fabric contrasted sharply with her long, unbraided hair, which fell like a dark veil past her waist.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet air as the front door opened. Ravi's parents walked in, their faces etched with sorrow and concern. His mother clutched her saree pallu tightly, while his father's eyes scanned the room, finally resting on Reena.
"Ravi..." his mother's voice broke as she approached, tears brimming in her eyes. Seeing her child in the attire of a widow, the white saree draped over fragile shoulders, was almost too much to bear. Her heart ached for the boy she had raised, now sitting before her, transformed beyond recognition.
Reena looked up slowly, meeting her mother's eyes. For a moment, neither spoke. Tears filled the silence. Then, Reena whispered, "I tried, Maa... I tried to save him."
Her mother sank to her knees beside her, pulling Reena into a tight embrace. "I know, beta. I know." Her tears soaked into Reena's shoulder as she stroked her child's long, loose hair. "It shouldn't have been this way... You shouldn't have had to bear this."
Reena's father stood beside them, his own grief hidden beneath a stoic exterior. But his voice trembled when he spoke. "No parent should see their child like this." He paused, his gaze fixed on the floor. "But you... you've shown a strength we never imagined and don't forget we all knew this day will come from very start. Hold yourself."
"I don't know who I am anymore," Reena whispered, her voice cracking. "I somehow started loving him the way a wife should. He was... everything."
Her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "You were there for him. That's all that matters."
The sound of priests chanting grew louder as preparations for the cremation continued. The air filled with the scent of incense and sandalwood. Aryan's body, draped in white cloth and adorned with marigold garlands, was carried to the courtyard. The mourners gathered, heads bowed, eyes glistening.
Mrs. Kapoor stood beside Reena, her face pale but resolute. She reached out and squeezed Reena's hand. "You must be strong. For Aryan."
Reena nodded, tears streaming silently down her face. She walked with measured steps to Aryan's side, placing a trembling hand on his forehead one last time. "You gave me a purpose I never understood before. I... I hope you find peace," she whispered.
Varun and Riya stood nearby, their faces grief-stricken. Varun approached, his voice soft but steady. "You're not alone, Reena. We're here."
The procession began, slow and heavy with sorrow. Aryan's body was carried to the cremation ground, the gathered crowd following in solemn silence. Reena walked at the front, flanked by Mrs. Kapoor and her parents. The white saree flowed around her like a shroud, each step a painful reminder of the finality of the moment.
At the pyre, the priests recited the final prayers. Reena's heart pounded as she watched the flames catch, the orange glow illuminating tear-streaked faces. Mrs. Kapoor's quiet sobs mingled with the crackling of the fire.
Reena stood still, her eyes fixed on the flames. Memories of Aryan's laughter, his kindness, his unwavering belief in her-everything flashed before her. Tears flowed freely, but there was a strange calm settling over her.
Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let him go, beta. He's at peace now."
Reena nodded, whispering a final goodbye. The fire roared, consuming the physical, leaving only memories behind.